Tender Kisses
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: Love knows no boundaries. It knows no race, no colour, no sex. It simply is what it is. Now that he's found the one he's been looking for, Kouga isn't about to let him go without a fight. He may just get more than he bargained for. sequel to Enchanting Re
1. Chapter 1

Inuyasha let out a soft sigh and tried his best not to squirm in his seat. His backside, from the base all the way to his neck, burned and ached from the poundings that Kouga had given him over the weekend. Of course, he, too, had gotten a chance to be seme, and had given the wolf as good as he had gotten, but it still didn't ease the pain that still lingered.

'Dammit,' he growled to himself, shifting in his seat a little. 'Next time I see that wolf, I'm really going to give it to him.'

Letting out another sigh, he slumped in his seat, sliding his rump partway off of the seat. It offered him temporary relief, unlike the Tylenol had.

'When we're in the air, I am so leaning my seat back,' he groused to himself.

As he got himself into a more comfortable position, Inuyasha thought back to the events of the weekend, to the events of the last few weeks. Of all the people that had found him, he hadn't expected it to be Kouga. He hadn't expected Kouga to be nice to him or prepare the delicious meal that he had . . . he hadn't expected Kouga to confess to him just how much he loved the hanyou or to prove it.

'And he went out of his way to make the entire weekend be special,' Inuyasha smiled, closing his eyes. 'He didn't have to . . . not because of me . . . It was still nice, though.'

Their goodbye had been bittersweet, having to say it before they left the wolf's apartment. Kouga had driven him to the airport, his eyes slightly glazed over. The weekend had gone by too quickly, in the wolf's opinion. He'd said as much.

'But we each have our lives to lead,' he sighed. 'Kami, I'm going to miss him so much.'

The flight attendant's voice came over the intercom at that moment, interrupting his reverie. As she announced the flight number, their destination and ETA, Inuyasha fought back a groan and sat up. Ignoring the shooting pain in his back, Inuyasha buckled himself in and waited. Once the plane had taxied down the runway and had taken off, he undid the belt then leaned his seat back.

'It'll be good to be home,' he thought as his eyes started to close. 'Maybe I'll extend the invitation to Kouga to come and visit me . . . longer than a weekend, if we can both pull it off.'

Exhaling softly, Inuyasha turned on his side and closed his eyes . . .

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_"I love you," Kouga murmured. "I wish you didn't have to leave." _

"I wish I didn't have to, either," Inuyasha sighed, his fingers tracing patterns on the wolf's chest. "But I can't stay here . . . I can't take the chance of anyone else finding me."

"Especially Kagome?"

"Hai," he nodded, squelching the sudden pain that had stabbed at his heart. "I . . . I don't think I could face her again . . . not after leaving the way I did . . . She'd recognize me for sure."

"I know . . . I still wish you didn't have to leave, though. Not after the trouble I went through just to find you . . ."

"I know . . . Kouga?"

"Yes?"

Inuyasha propped himself up on one elbow, his eyes meeting the warm blue gaze that Kouga gave him.

"Thank you . . . You don't know what this means to me . . ."

Kouga leaned forward, catching him in a tender kiss and cutting his words off. While keeping their lips locked together, he pushed Inuyasha onto his back, sliding in between his legs. His hands grasped the hanyou's wrists, pinning them above his silvery-white mane. He then broke the kiss off and nuzzled him.

"You don't need to say anything more, koi. I know. Believe me, I know."

Inuyasha's lips tugged into a smile as Kouga wrapped his arms around his waist, his mouth attacking his collarbone. He started to wrap his arms around the wolf's neck, only to have the youkai place them above his head once more. A light nip to his throat and a growl were his only warnings to not do that again. Inuyasha whimpered slightly but kept his hands where they were. If Kouga wanted to take control over their love-making, Inuyasha wasn't about to stop him.

As Kouga's mouth attached itself to his neck and collarbone, one hand snaked its way to his groin . . .

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Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, the scent of his arousal waking him. He hadn't meant to dream of the final time Kouga had taken him, nearly marking him from the inside out as his mate. That session had been particularly painful to Inuyasha, mostly because it had reached such a frenzied pace. He had thought for sure Kouga had broken his back for as hard as he was being fucked.

'No,' he shook his head, taking another sniff and noting with relief that he hadn't reached completion. 'I wasn't being fucked. And Kouga didn't do anything to me that I didn't allow. I wanted it like that. I _enjoyed_ it.'

He took a few deep breaths then began to think of things that weren't so particularly arousing. Like . . . being doused in ice water filled with ice cubes. Inuyasha shuddered as the thought did the trick and the scent of his arousal slowly faded. Carefully, he sat up and noticed the light on for the seatbelts to be fastened.

'Good,' he told himself, putting his seat back into position. 'Means I'm home . . . and I can contact Kouga.'

With that thought to content him, Inuyasha once again ignored the pain in his back, grateful to be home once more.

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"Are you sure that this was the flight he was on?" came the quiet inquiry.

"Absolutely. I followed him to the airport myself."

"You weren't seen?"

"No, sir."

"And he spent the entire weekend with the wolf?"

"Hai."

"Interesting. Very interesting indeed."


	2. Chapter 2

Kouga let out a heavy sigh as he buried his face into his pillow. Then he inhaled deeply, smiling a little as he did so. Though it had been several days since Inuyasha had been there, the hanyou's scent still lingered in the fabric and Kouga relished waking up to it every morning. The scent of their mating sessions also lingered within the sheets, though Kouga had washed them.

He hadn't meant for things to go as far as they had during Inuyasha's brief stay. He really hadn't. It was supposed to have been a chance for them to get reacquainted with each other, not to end up mating with each other like two usagi youkai in heat.

'Guess I can't complain,' he told himself as he finally tore himself away from the pillow. 'The weekend _did_ turn out better than I had anticipated. I got my mate.'

Kouga took comfort in that thought as he got out of bed and got himself ready for the day. Once again, he'd started counting down the days until he'd see his mate once more. Since Inuyasha wouldn't, couldn't come back to Japan, Kouga was going to go to him. His youki demanded it. He had to be sure that no one would try to steal his mate away from him. Of course, Inuyasha had no idea about how long his impending visit was going. The hanyou _had_ extended the offer . . . and Kouga had accepted . . . but this was going to be different. Everything had been put into motion, and none of his hard was going to go to waste. After all, Kouga wasn't returning to Japan.

'I'll travel the ends of the earth for you, Inuyasha. Nothing will keep me from you. Nothing.'

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_"You should get some sleep. You have a long flight ahead of you tomorrow." _

Sleepy, golden eyes turned so that they met his. Silvery-white hair had been splayed out in a fanning effect behind Inuyasha's head, and, in the early afternoon light, the hanyou simply looked angelic. Not for the first time that weekend, Kouga wondered how the hell he'd gotten so lucky.

"I know," Inuyasha yawned, stretching and arching his back some. A light smile graced his lips. "I just . . . I don't want any of our time to go to waste, y'know? I don't know when I'll see you again."

Kouga pressed a finger to his lips, noting how soft they had remained despite the bruising kisses they'd been giving each other. He smiled in return.

"I know," he murmured. "I'm sure we'll come up with something."

"You think so?"

"Iie. I know so."

Kouga leaned forward, catching Inuyasha's lips in a warm and tender kiss. The puppy-eared hanyou moaned softly into his mouth as he returned the kiss. Slender arms wrapped around Kouga's neck, and a warm, inviting body pressed against his. The kiss heated up as Inuyasha's legs wrapped around his waist, rubbing a semi-hard erection against Kouga's belly. Tentatively, the wolf youkai broke the contact to look in Inuyasha's eyes.

"You really should get some sleep," he stated once more. To that, Inuyasha just smiled.

"I'll sleep on the way home."

Once more, their lips touched, causing Kouga to melt. His weight settled on top of Inuyasha as his tongue demanded entrance into the hanyou's hot mouth.

For a moment, the hanyou denied him access and kept pushing Kouga's tongue back with his own. Kouga growled deeply within his throat, slightly annoyed that Inuyasha had decided to play games at that moment. He just wanted to taste him, as he'd been tasting him the entire weekend, and the hanyou was being cute. Finally, after several more moments, Inuyasha parted his lips and allowed him access. His tongue dipped in, reaching all the way back to Inuyasha's throat. Inuyasha's tongue reached up and caressed his as he continued to explore the hanyou's mouth. Kouga was pleased to note that the hanyou still tasted sweet.

Finally, the kiss broke off and Kouga trailed his tongue along Inuyasha's jawline before planting kisses along the hanyou's throat. Inuyasha moaned, arching his back to press closer to him. Already, the hanyou's skin had become heated, flushed. Kouga could smell Inuyasha's arousal as it mingled with his own. He smiled against the hanyou's flesh. Just the reaction he wanted.

His tongue traveled down Inuyasha's chest, pausing at a semi-hard nub. He licked at it lightly, causing his lover to gasp then moan before latching onto it and suckling. Strong fingers grasped at Kouga's hair, pushing him closer. Something about the action felt different from their previous mating sessions and wouldn't be repeated before he left. Inuyasha clung to him, as if he needed Kouga to sustain him and needed to sustain Kouga. Nothing else seemed to matter at that moment, not even when Kouga parted Inuyasha's legs and entered the hanyou once more . . .

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'Nothing's going to keep me from you, koi. Nothing,' Kouga swore as he showered. Within moments, he had finished, dressed and was on his way out the door.

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"Any word yet as to Inuyasha's whereabouts?"

"No . . . Just that he lives somewhere near San Francisco. We lost his trail at the airport there."

"I see . . . I expect to know where he's at by tomorrow afternoon. I will not tolerate failure. I want Inuyasha back."

"And you'll have him back. I guarantee it."


	3. Chapter 3

Inuyasha let out a growl of frustration. He wanted to bang his head against the wall. Repeatedly. And hard. Nothing was going right. Black smoke had spewed from his oven and obliterated the baked salmon, his kitchen had become one big mess as he tried to fix something nice and _decent_ for them to eat, and, to top things off, he had only an hour before Kouga was scheduled to arrive.

'How the hell did he do it?' he wondered for the dozenth time. 'How did he manage to pull of the perfect evening? And he did _everything_!'

Of course, as Inuyasha thought back to his stay with Kouga, he noted how _modern_ the wolf's kitchen had been. Stainless steel countertops, brand new appliances, new refrigerator, state-of-the-art gas top range . . . everything that his kitchen _wasn't_. A heavy sigh that seemed to come up all the way from his toes escaped him.

'I'm never going to have everything ready for him. I'm not.'

For a brief second, the thought of giving up and just ordering in tempted Inuyasha and tempted him greatly. Then he shoved it aside, his eyes narrowed. If there was anything about him that could be said to be true, it was his determination and his inability to quit. He wouldn't allow a huge hunk of metal to defeat him. He just needed to tweak his plans a little.

'And I know what I can fix instead . . .'

Smiling for the first time all day, Inuyasha set about to getting things ready and, hopefully, be ready for when his lover arrived.

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Kouga's lips twitched and tugged into a smile as the two-story, grey house with black trim came into view. He could see why Inuyasha hadn't wanted to move back to Japan. The hanyou's house was situated out in the country, surrounded by trees, and the nearest person was a quarter of a mile away. It was perfect some who wanted his privacy, someone like Inuyasha.

He pulled his rental car into the driveway, next to a small red car of some make he couldn't quite identify. As soon as he had the car in park and the ignition off, Inuyasha appeared in the doorway.

If he'd thought that Inuyasha had looked hot during their visit in Japan then the visage that appeared before him was godly. The hanyou had chosen a white silk shirt and black pants to wear, his silvery-white hair cascading over his shoulders. Golden eyes shone warmly at him as Inuyasha stepped outside.

"You're early," Inuyasha commented as he reached the porch. Kouga smirked.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't wait to see you," he replied glibly. The scent of fresh water and soap greeted his nose. "Cutting it a little close?"

Inuyasha smirked back at him and shrugged.

"Had some difficulties . . . but everything's ready now . . ." The smirk softened. "I'm glad you could make it, Kouga. I really am."

Kouga slid his arm around Inuyasha's waist and pulled him close. He inhaled deeply, feeling content for the first time in over a week, since Inuyasha had left him.

"So am I, koi. So am I."

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"Boss . . ."

"What is it?"

"We know Inuyasha's location now."

"You do?"

"Hai."

"How?"

"We used the global tracking system in the wolf's rental car."


	4. Chapter 4

"So how is it?"

Kouga glanced up to see Inuyasha's expectant gaze upon him, a bit of worry flickering in those golden orbs. He picked up his napkin and wiped away some sauce.

The meal itself was rather delicious, not something he'd been expecting. After all, it'd been no secret that Inuyasha absolutely loved ramen. That had been one of the reasons why he'd fixed it when he'd sent Inuyasha the invitation for a visit. Spaghetti with garlic bread, a light salad and some red wine had been a total surprise. Of course, he'd never liked Italian food. He knew how to cook it but had never liked it. The way that Inuyasha had prepared it, however, had been great. Kouga found that he couldn't stop eating it.

Kouga offered Inuyasha a warm smile and nodded.

"It's good. Really good, in fact. Best pasta I've ever had."

"You're not just saying that?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at him for a brief moment.

"No," Kouga shook his head. "I'm not just saying that."

"Good," Inuyasha smiled, the worry leaving his eyes. "For a moment, I wasn't sure . . . you didn't look too happy to hear that this is what I'd fixed."

"I'll be honest with you . . . I wasn't," the wolf admitted with an embarrassed smile. "I don't normally like Italian food . . . but this . . ." he picked up another fork full of noodles, "this is really good. _Really_ good. I could never make it taste this good."

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm," he nodded, having shoved the fork back into his mouth. As soon as he swallowed that bite, he inquired, "Where did you learn to make pasta like this? Ginta went to Italy to learn how to make Italian food and his is nowhere near this good."

"I've been to Italy," the hanyou replied, smirking a little.

"You've been to Italy?" Kouga raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah . . . a long time ago . . . some time after I left Japan . . ."

Inuyasha's voice trailed off, sadness lacing his tone. For a moment, he had a faraway expression on his face. Then it passed and a bright smile lit his face.

"Anyway, I've been to Italy . . . I've been to a lot of places, actually."

"So how did you end up in the United States?" Kouga inquired, his curiosity piqued. He set his fork down and placed his elbows on the table, propping his chin in his hands.

"Had to keep moving," he shrugged. "It's easier to move around here than it is anywhere in Asia or Europe. I can fake my death, change my name easier here and head to some place like Oregon or Montana. No one would be the wiser for it."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"No," Inuyasha shook his head. "I'm not. If things get to be too weird, that's all I have to do."

"Hrmmm . . ."

They both fell silent for a few moments before Kouga glanced at his plate and picked his fork back up.

"This is very good."

Inuyasha gave him another smile in thanks and they continued to eat in silence. Once they were finished, Inuyasha began to clear away the table.

"I'm sorry I don't have dessert . . . the fridge has been a bit wonky . . ."

"That's all right," Kouga replied, grabbing Inuyasha's wrist as he came back to the table for more dishes and pulling the hanyou to him. "There's something else I'd rather have anyway."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something but Kouga cut him off with a kiss. Fangs grazed against fangs as he shoved his tongue into that hot cavern and probed every inch. A muffled whimper escaped Inuyasha just as he melted against the wolf.

'Perfect,' he smiled to himself, his arms going about Inuyasha's waist. His hands slid down until they reached his lover's behind. Kouga deepened the kiss as he gave both globes a firm squeeze. Finally, the need for air become overwhelming and the kiss broke. Against him, Inuyasha trembled some. Kouga nipped at his jawline.

"Yes . . . definitely what I want for dessert . . . wouldn't you agree?"

Inuyasha nodded, his arms wrapping around Kouga's neck. His head tilted to the right, allowing Kouga more access to his throat and neck. The wolf then trailed his tongue from the base of Inuyasha's throat all the way back up to his jawline, delighting in the shivers that coursed through the silver-haired male. Desire began to pool in his belly as he held the hanyou close. He had to have more.

"Damn, you're delicious," he growled, giving Inuyasha's ass another squeeze. "I want you . . . I want you right now."

"I want you, too," came the breathy reply, Inuyasha's fingers tugging on his shirt. Teeth grasped gently at his earlobe and nibbled, nearly sending Kouga over the edge. Though it had only been a little over a week since they'd held each other, it felt like it'd been an eternity to Kouga. He couldn't wait any longer.

Neither could Inuyasha, apparently. Frantically, they began to undress each other, heedless of the fact that the curtains were open and that anyone could walk into the front door. All that mattered was satisfying their need for each other, to reaffirm the fact that they were now mates. Nothing could separate them.

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"Someone call the boss. Inuyasha will be on a plane back to Japan. Tonight."


	5. Chapter 5

Kouga let out a soft moan and arched his back as Inuyasha ground his hips against his. His member drove deeper into his lover's passage, causing the hanyou to moan as well.

At some point, they had gone from the kitchen to Inuyasha's room, where the love-making had resumed once more. Inuyasha had pushed him onto the bed and, for a moment, Kouga had thought that his silver-haired lover intended to penetrate him. That's how it had worked when Inuyasha had come to visit him in Japan. They'd taken turns taking each other. It'd hurt but it'd also been very pleasurable.

However, instead of shoving his cock into Kouga, Inuyasha had straddled him, his anus rubbing against Kouga's semi-aroused member. Kouga had given him a questioning look but Inuyasha had only smiled in response. A warm and inviting kiss had followed that smile, a kiss that the wolf had returned.

That was how they had remained for several moments, their lips locked in a what Kouga could only describe as being the most tender kiss of his life. Neither of them battled each other for dominance in that kiss or demanded anything. It was simply . . . a kiss.

Eventually, Inuyasha had broken the kiss, choosing to plant small ones along his jawline then down his throat. Kouga had gasped then moaned at the attention, placing his hands on Inuyasha's thighs. Things had become . . . passionate from there, leading him to the current moment, to the silver-haired god he was pleasuring and receiving pleasure from.

For that's what Inuyasha was to him at that moment. A silver-haired god. His entire body glistened in the moonlight, his silver-white hair fanning about him. Inuyasha's body rocked against his in a most sensual manner, Kouga's member buried deep within the hanyou's secrets. Their bodies moved together in a timeless dance, one that only nature could dictate.

When he had finally reached his release, Kouga wasn't sure. He just knew that his back had arched once more, driving himself so deep into Inuyasha that, had he been a little more lucid during their love-making, Kouga would have been sure had split the hanyou in half. His blood had been lit on fire and he knew it. He couldn't help how explosive that particular release had been.

Not that Inuyasha had seemed to mind. He had reached his release at the same time as Kouga, his entire body having gone stiff. With his lips parted and his eyes closed, Inuyasha was the epitome of pleasure. Time had stopped for that single moment and for that, Kouga was grateful.

When time had resumed once more, Inuyasha lay curled up next to him, his breathing heavy and his body limp. Kouga turned so that he could face his lover . . . and hold him.

"I love you so much, koishii," he murmured, nuzzling the hanyou's nose. A tired yet warm smile crept onto Inuyasha's face.

"I love you, too."

Then Inuyasha's eyes closed, his breathing steadying itself. Within moments, his lover . . . his mate . . . had fallen asleep.

"Good night, Inuyasha," Kouga whispered, pulling the blankets over them then snuggling close. "May your dreams be peaceful."

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It felt like he'd just closed his eyes and had started to fall asleep himself when he'd heard a strange noise coming from downstairs. Frowning, and shaking off the sleep, Kouga threw the covers off him, idly noting that Inuyasha was not in bed with him. He quickly slipped into some clothes then padded down the stairs to investigate the source of that strange noise. When it repeated, all vestiges of sleep were gone and Kouga practically ran the rest of the way down the stairs.

He'd gotten as far as the kitchen and had seen Inuyasha laying on the floor, blood starting to pool around his lover, when pain erupted in the back of his head. His world began to swim around and teeter, and he staggered forward. Pain erupted in the back of his head once more and he remembered no more.

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"What have you to report to me?" Fingers drummed on the top of the desk, a sign of impatience.

"Good news, boss."

"Oh?" An eyebrow rose in inquiry.

"Hai," came the smile.

"It does pertain to Inuyasha, ne?"

"Hai. It does. He's on his way back to Japan."

"Right now?"

"Hai. As we speak, the plane is leaving San Francisco. Inuyasha will be back and he will be yours."

"Good."

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Inuyasha let out a small moan as consciousness came back to him in a slow, steady, and painful stream. He felt as if he'd gone out and had spent several hours on a drinking spree. The last thing he recalled had been being in bed with Kouga, feeling his mate's cock sliding in and out of him as if it owned him.

He shivered a little as that mental image came to him. They hadn't been drinking. At least, not heavily. There had been some wine at dinner but that had been about it. Inuyasha had still been in control of his wits when he'd taken Kouga up to his room. So why this nagging headache? Why did he feel as if he were hungover?

"Hello, Inuyasha. Long time no see."

Inuyasha felt his eyes widen and a strange cold feeling settling in the pit of his stomach at that voice. At that _female_ voice.

'It can't be! It's . . .it's impossible!'

Slowly, he turned to the source of the voice. A voice he was certain he should not have been hearing.

"Sango . . ."


	6. Chapter 6

For a moment, after he'd said her name, the only thing Inuyasha could do was stare at the dark-haired taijiya. His mind couldn't register the fact that she was right there in front of him, very much alive. Every single one of his senses told him as much. Her scent was the same, her appearance was the same, her _eyes_ were the same . . . she wasn't a reincarnation, like Kagome.

As his mind tried to wrap itself around this latest development, the taijiya smiled and took a few steps towards him. She knelt in front of him and took one of his hand into hers.

"We have much to discuss, Inuyasha," Sango murmured. "Like how much I've missed you . . . and want you."

That brought him out of his stupor, allowing him to take a deep breath. As soon as he let it out, he spoke.

"What's going on? How come you're still alive?"

"Because I'm demon," she smiled, rising to her feet and pulling him with her. "I always have been."

"But," his brow furrowed as he frowned, "you slew demons . . . you . . ."

"Smell like a human?" she finished. At his nod, her smile grew wider. "Yes. A simple trick we'd learned over the decades. We became disgusted with how some demons lost their way and would consume humans for the sheer pleasure of it. At first, it was difficult, slaying fellow demons . . . but, as we continued and we perfected our human disguises, it became easier to slay those who abused their own powers."

"But . . ."

"Shhh . . ." she placed a finger on his lips. "We have time, koishii. All the time in the world."

"What?" His eyes widened. Had she just called him what he thought she did?

"We have time . . ."

"No," he shook his head. "What did you just call me?"

"Koishii," she replied. "Why?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at that. Only one person was allowed to call him that, the one he had chosen to mate with. No one else could.

"I'm not your koishii," he stated, a low growl lacing itself into his tone. "Never have been and never will be. Do not call me that _ever_ again."

The smile faded from her face as she gazed at him. A shiver ran down his spine as her eyes took on a cold glare and she spoke once more.

"We'll just see about that, Inuyasha."

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Kouga fought back a groan as he slowly came to. For some reason, his head pounded and he couldn't recall why. The last thing he _could_ recall had been that last mating session with Inuyasha and how unbelievable it had been. He also knew that he'd had some wine with the dinner that Inuyasha had prepared but nothing that would cause him to feel hungover.

Inuyasha.

The moment he thought of his lover's name, Kouga's eyes flew open and he bolted forward. Everything flooded his memories. Inuyasha laying on the kitchen floor, out cold. Something hitting him in the back of the head . . .

As his senses came alive all at once, Kouga became aware that he wasn't alone in Inuyasha's house. There were three others, humans, and they were dousing the place with gasoline.

"Make sure nothing is left standing," one of them ordered. "The boss won't be happy if there's anything left."

"We know," came the irritated retort. "Make it look like the wolf did it in the process. We _do_ know what we're doing."

What they said after that, Kouga wasn't sure. He saw red, not because they were talking about framing him for burning Inuyasha's house to the ground but because they were _touching_ his mate's home, threatening it. He knew that Inuyasha would be devastated if he lost this place. Inuyasha had told him about this place in a phone conversation before Kouga had left Japan, how he'd lived in this house for the last one hundred fifty years. It was Inuyasha's sanctuary, his _home_. No one had the right to touch it. No one.

Letting out a feral growl, Kouga snapped into action. He wouldn't kill the humans. Not yet, anyway. Not while they were in Inuyasha's home. He wouldn't let his koishii come home to that. Not as long as there was eternity. After all, he needed one of them alive. They knew where Inuyasha was, who had decided to kidnap the hanyou and take him away from the wolf.

Terrified screams filled the night air as Kouga lunged at them . . .

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Miroku let out a soft, frustrated sigh as he read over the book that Kagome had handed to him before finally pushing it away. He would never understand the problems that the book had presented to him, not even with Kagome's help.

It had been several weeks since he had agreed to come to the modern era with Kagome. To say that her query had shocked him had been an understatement. He thought for sure that it would have been Inuyasha that she would have asked but then . . .

'Things have changed between them,' he thought somewhat morosely. 'She doesn't love him. Not like she used to it.'

In many ways, Miroku felt guilty for the changes that had occurred. He had liked Inuyasha, had considered the hanyou to be the brother he never had, and would have never even thought of pursuing Kagome . . . until Sango began to change. Why, he didn't know. She just . . .had and it had broken his heart when she'd disappeared as well, taking Kohaku with her. After that . . .

'After that, I came here.'

For a moment, he stared blankly at Kagome's desk, the book still in front of him. There were still many things that he had to adjust to and it depressed him when he thought of the finality of the situation. Then he shook his head, his demeanor cheering instantly.

'I can't worry about that,' he told himself, glancing at the door as Kagome entered. 'I have plenty to be thankful for, especially this gorgeous creature in front of me.'

He rose to his feet to greet her in his usual manner – a kiss on the lips and a quick grope to her firm behind – when he noticed her downcast expression. Concerned, he quickly approached her.

"Kagome? Is everything all right?" he inquired.

She said nothing right away. Kagome merely sighed and kept her gaze averted, as if she were trying to prepare herself for whatever it was she felt she needed to say. It scared Miroku for a reason he couldn't quite identify. Then she raised her head and murmured, "Ginta and Hakkaku just approached me . . . Kouga called them. He says he needs our help in finding Inuyasha. Again."

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Kouga drew a deep breath as he placed the phone back into the receiver. The humans he had slaughtered had been less than helpful in telling him what he wanted to know. Even though their lives had been on the line, they had still refused to talk. The only thing he'd been able to discover had been that Inuyasha was back in Japan and that it wasn't Sesshomaru who had sent them after the hanyou.

'The last place he wants to be,' Kouga had fumed. 'Whoever did this is going to pay and pay dearly. But I can't find him on my own. I need help.'

So he had placed a few calls to some old friends. Now there was only one call left to make.

'I just hope Inuyasha will forgive me for this,' Kouga prayed as he dialed the number.

_"Moushi, moushi, Negumi residence."_

"Hello, this is Nichi Kouga calling. I need to speak to Sesshomaru right away. Please tell him it is urgent. It concerns his brother, Inuyasha."


End file.
